Very old cheque from HMRC for self assessment - should I cash it?

Gonna-be-debt-free

In clearing out my filing cabinet, I found a check from HMRC from 2012 in relation to overpaid tax (end of year self assessment).  Is there any point in me attempting to cash it? 

I'm aware that technically cheques only have a 6 month shelf-life, but have previously had some success in cashing cheques past their time limit.  HOWEVER what I am wondering is whether this will affect anything at HMRC.  i.e. will the fact that I didn't cash the cheque at the time have left me with a credit balance at HMRC which would have balanced out the following tax year or against my tax code?

Jeremy535897

Online records won't go back that far. I doubt there's any way of knowing, if you don't have the records.

lincroft1710

Banks tend to refuse cheques that are more than 6 months old

antonic

Gonna-be-debt-free said:

In clearing out my filing cabinet, I found a check from HMRC from 2012 in relation to overpaid tax (end of year self assessment).  Is there any point in me attempting to cash it? 

I'm aware that technically cheques only have a 6 month shelf-life, but have previously had some success in cashing cheques past their time limit.  HOWEVER what I am wondering is whether this will affect anything at HMRC.  i.e. will the fact that I didn't cash the cheque at the time have left me with a credit balance at HMRC which would have balanced out the following tax year or against my tax code?

Once the repayment has been issued to you , the credit is removed from your Self Assessment account as a refund has been issued to you.
If you have a Personal Tax Account log into it and send a secure message to HMRC asking them to cancel the payable order and refund the money back to you directly back to your bank account (if you have supplied them).
HMRC will ask you to return the Payable Order so it can be cancelled

Gonna-be-debt-free

antonic said:

Gonna-be-debt-free said:

In clearing out my filing cabinet, I found a check from HMRC from 2012 in relation to overpaid tax (end of year self assessment).  Is there any point in me attempting to cash it? 

I'm aware that technically cheques only have a 6 month shelf-life, but have previously had some success in cashing cheques past their time limit.  HOWEVER what I am wondering is whether this will affect anything at HMRC.  i.e. will the fact that I didn't cash the cheque at the time have left me with a credit balance at HMRC which would have balanced out the following tax year or against my tax code?

Once the repayment has been issued to you , the credit is removed from your Self Assessment account as a refund has been issued to you.
If you have a Personal Tax Account log into it and send a secure message to HMRC asking them to cancel the payable order and refund the money back to you directly back to your bank account (if you have supplied them).
HMRC will ask you to return the Payable Order so it can be cancelled

You are a star! Thank you.  Will give that a go.

antonic

Gonna-be-debt-free said:

antonic said:

Gonna-be-debt-free said:

In clearing out my filing cabinet, I found a check from HMRC from 2012 in relation to overpaid tax (end of year self assessment).  Is there any point in me attempting to cash it? 

I'm aware that technically cheques only have a 6 month shelf-life, but have previously had some success in cashing cheques past their time limit.  HOWEVER what I am wondering is whether this will affect anything at HMRC.  i.e. will the fact that I didn't cash the cheque at the time have left me with a credit balance at HMRC which would have balanced out the following tax year or against my tax code?

Once the repayment has been issued to you , the credit is removed from your Self Assessment account as a refund has been issued to you.
If you have a Personal Tax Account log into it and send a secure message to HMRC asking them to cancel the payable order and refund the money back to you directly back to your bank account (if you have supplied them).
HMRC will ask you to return the Payable Order so it can be cancelled

You are a star! Thank you.  Will give that a go.

Glad to have helped

seatbeltnoob

must have had a really good year to stuff a cheque from hmrc into your ordinary letter stash.

unholyangel

OP I wouldn't hold out much hope of HMRC being able to help you. 

If the cheque is dated 2012 then that must be for tax year 10/11 or before - which will have been out of date for several years now (5-6 off the top of my head).